Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Still Eyes Are The Window {Mind} Shadow Palette

Hello everyone!


I hope your Wednesday has been great so far! Today I'm giving you my thoughts on the Stila Eyes Are The Window {Mind} Shadow palette. I got this palette because I've heard Marlena from Makeupgeek rave about how good this all matte eyeshadow palette is. I've been a huge fan of Marlena and her makeup line so of course this palette made it on my "to-buy list"!

Honestly, at first I wasn't even thrilled about these "Eyes Are The Window" palettes because they all seem just ok and I'm really not a big Stila fan anyway. I really had no intention on buying this until Marlena featured it in one of her videos.

This palette can be purchased through the Stila Cosmetics website [click here] or from Ulta Beauty [click here]. The palette costs $49 for 12 eyeshadows which I find to be a bit steep in price. I did get mine with a 20% discount for being an Ulta Beauty rewards member. So if you have a beauty card, you should get coupons that apply to prestige makeup a few times a year.


Let's get into this palette.......





The exterior packaging is very sleek and super pretty. I really like the gold tones throughout and the mirror inside is also great quality. My only complaint is that the packaging shows a lot of fingerprints.  Other than this minor detail, packaging gets two thumbs up from me! 


12 all matte eyeshadows



I really like the color selection available with this all matte eyeshadow palette. I think these are all basic matte shades everyone should own. In my opinion, having a good range of mattes is very important for creating great makeup looks. The photo may show the eyeshadows a bit small but in person they are a decent size that will last awhile. 


Names are written on the back side of palette

I also like how Stila put each eyeshadow name on the back side of the palette. This eliminates the need to keep that plastic sheet overlay that usually has the names printed on it. Many brands include that annoying plastic that drives me nuts so this was a pleasant surprise. 

Up close photos of the eyeshadows: 


Top upper left

Lower left 


These next two photos don't really capture the true intensity of the last column on the right hand side.

Upper right
Lower right


Swatches......

L to R:
reason, thinker, creativity, intellect

The lighting was a bit off with the sunlight here but these colors don't show up too intense against my pale skin tone anyway. 

Reason: pale ivory
Thinker: light baby pink
Creativity: light creamy peach
Intellect: dusty rose

L to R:
instinct, observation, wit, perception
These four are the center column of the palette. I find these shades are more of mid tone colors when compared to the first and last columns. Overall, these are very pigmented and smooth. 

Instinct: blue toned grey
Observation: cool tone grey
Wit: medium tan
Perception: copper orange


L to R:
brilliance, imagination, genius, understanding

The last column on the right hand side is the deep shades. These are great for deepening the outer v or  to use as eyeliner. I like the range of dark colors included here. 

Brilliance: dark charcoal black (not a true intense black)
Imagination: deep plum
Genius: dark chocolate brown
Understanding: reddish brown



Overall, I think this palette is great. I like the colors and the placement of eyeshadows within the palette. It's very user friendly since each column is like an outline for application. The first column is lighter more like highlighting shades, the second is more mid tones/transition shades and the final column is deeper and smokier in tone. 

I think if you don't have a ton of matte eyeshadows in your collection, you'll get a lot of use out of this one. It isn't totally necessary to own but if you like what you see, then you'll be happy with it. This palette will be featured in several makeup tutorials coming up on my YouTube channel. 


If you would like to check out my beauty videos, click here to see them all :) New videos are posted every Monday and Friday!!! 

I hope you found this review helpful. Thank you for stopping by!

xoxo,
~Lexi 









Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Milani Bella Eyes Gel Powder Eyeshadows Review

Hello everyone & Happy Wednesday!!!!


I'm exited per the usual to give you all my thoughts on something makeup related. As some of you know, I'm a huge fan of eyeshadows. I love all colors and finishes so of course, when I saw these while on vacation in December, I knew I had to snag some up. Today I am giving you my thoughts on  the Milani Bella Eyes Gel eyeshadows that were launch a few months back. It's taken me a while to get these because locally I couldn't find but a few shades within the range.

I initially had every single color I found at Walmart in my shopping cart until I realized that maybe I should just try a few first instead of going overboard as I always do :) I only picked 5 colors (I'm proud of myself for holding back) to try. The Bella Eyes Gel eyeshadow range has a ton of different colors ranging from super shimmery champagnes to deep sultry smokey colors. Off the bat, I noticed such a great range of colors to choose from which makes it easy for everyone to find something they like.

Each of these Bella Eyes Gel eyeshadows (1.4g in size) retails anywhere from $3.99 to $4.49 depending on where you shop drugstore products. You can also order from the Milani Cosmetics website (shop these eyeshadows here). I think the price of each is very affordable and to me seems like better quality than some other drugstore eyeshadows I've tried.


Here are the colors I have:


Bella Eyes Gel Eyeshadows
The Bella Eyes Gel Eyeshadows are a unique formula of gel and powder mixed together. The texture is quite soft and creamy yet goes on very smoothly like a powder. I normally use an eyeshadow primer to prevent creasing due to my oily lids, and I find these last all day on me. The pigmentation is also super awesome. 


#13 Bella Pink
#13 Bella Pink
Bella Pink: this one is gorgeous shimmery soft baby pink with the slightest lilac tone. So beautiful for spring and summer time. This color would be amazing as a pop of color in the inner part of the eye or on the lower lash line. 


#03 Bella Cappuccino
#03 Bella Cappuccino
Bella Cappuccino: a satiny light tan color that works great as a transition shade or lid color. The label says the finish is satin matte but I find this to be a true satin finish. It's not shimmery but has the slightest glow to it. I love this for an everyday crease color!


#19 Bella Rouge
#19 Bella Rouge
Bella Rouge: a soft metallic cranberry shade. The Milani website states that this is a red color and it appears that way online but truly in person, it's a berry shade. Love this for the fall time or for a sultry date night smokey eye. The finish is labeled as metallic and I'd say soft metallic because true metallics are like 'bam in your face' and this one isn't. There's a beautiful softness to it :) Totally wearable!


#25 Bella Cobalt
#25 Bella Cobalt
Bella Cobalt: as the name says, it's a stunning cobalt blue. Absolutely love how this makes brown eyes pop. It also makes the whites of your eyes whiter! This is very smooth, creamy and glides on so well. The label says satin matte, and honestly the finish is shimmery. 


#11 Bella Charcoal
#11 Bella Charcoal
Bella Charcoal: this color is a definite 'omg' shade. I love this beautiful metallic charcoal with a touch of brown. I like how the touch of brown adds a subtle warmth to it. This color is the softest of all the ones I own and the most potent in pigmentation. I have used this on the lower lash line and as eyeliner too! Great color :) 


L to R:
Bella Pink, Bella Rouge, Bella Cappuccino
Bella Cobalt & Bella Charcoal


Overall, I am impressed and in love too! I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for great pigmentation, creamy and smooth eyeshadows that are very affordable. I can't wait to get my hands on the other colors available. Two thumbs up in my book!


I hope you found this review helpful. Please leave your feedback on these and which colors you love/recommend. 


If you would like connect with me on Twitter & Instagram (my info is below): 
@GlamourbyLexi


Also, I do have a YouTube beauty channel where I post beauty related videos twice weekly. Come on by! 
https://www.youtube.com/user/GlamourbyLexi


Thank you for stopping by,
xoxo
~Lexi